A set of resources for anyone interested in equitably scaling informal STEM learning programs and curricula for program developers, implementers, researchers, evaluators, funders, and more.
In 2023, the National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP) and Education Development Center (EDC) collaborated with informal STEM learning practitioners to co-design Advancing the Conversation on Scaling National Informal STEM Programs, a conference to examine current frameworks and conceptions of scale in informal STEM learning. This conference convened and elevated voices commonly missing from scale-related conversations: the people who work directly with youth and families to provide informal STEM learning programs.
Guidelines for Equitably Scaling Informal STEM Programs outlines the contextual issues around scaling informal STEM programs, discusses the limitations of current frameworks for scaling, and provides six guidelines to consider for equitable scaling.
Practitioners can also utilize the companion document, Collaborative Decision-Making Tool for Equitably Scaling Informal STEM Programs, to begin implementing the guidelines. This tool provides a starting place for those interested in applying these ideas to their practice.